‘Blackwater’ footage: Who are the mercenaries in Ukraine?

Videos have sprung on YouTube alleging that the US private security service formerly known as Blackwater is operating in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Western press is hitting back, accusing Russia of fabricating reports to justify “aggression.”

The authenticity of videos allegedly made in downtown Donetsk on
March 5 is hard to verify. In the footage, unidentified armed men
in military outfits equipped with Russian AK assault rifles and
American М4А1 carbines are securing the protection of some
pro-Kiev activists amidst anti-government popular protests.

The regional administration building in Donetsk has changed hands
many times, with either pro-Russian protesters or pro-Kiev forces
declaring capture of the authority headquarters. In the logic of
the tape, at some point the new officials appointed by
revolutionary Kiev managed to occupy the administration, but then
– as the building was surrounded by angry protesters – demanded
to secure a safe evacuation.

This is where the armed professionals come in. The protesters,
after several moments of shock, start shouting,
“Blackwater!,” and “Mercenaries!,” as well as
“Faggots!,” and “Who are you going to shoot
at?!” But the armed men drive off in the blink of an eye
without saying a word.

Surely these men were not Blackwater – simply because such a
company does not exist anymore. It has changed its name twice in
recent years and is now called Academi.

The latest article on the case, published by the Daily Mail, claims that
though these people did look like professional mercenaries, they
conducted the operation too openly.

“On the face of it, the uniforms of the people in the videos
are consistent with US mercs - they don't look like Russian
soldiers mercs. On the other hand, why run around in public
making a show of it?” said DM Dr Nafeez Ahmed, a security
expert with the Institute for Policy Research & Development.

“I think the question is whether the evidence available
warrants at least reasonable speculation.”

Ahmed also added that “Of course the other possibility is
it's all Russian propaganda.”

Why would Russia need to make such provocation? The Daily Mail
explained that “any suggestion that a US mercenary outfit
like Blackwater, known now as Academi, had begun operating in
east Ukraine could give Russian President Vladimir Putin the
pretext for a military invasion.”

Other western media outlets are maintaining that a “Russian
invasion” has already began, because the heavily armed
military personnel now controlling all major infrastructure in
Crimea are “obviously” Russians.

The Daily Beast media outlet went even further. On the last day
of February, it published an article alleging that “polite
Russians” in Crimea are actually...employees of Russian
security service providers.

While there are indeed several military-oriented security service
providers in Russia, it however appears highly unlikely that all
of them combined could provide personnel for such a wide-scale
operation.

At the beginning of the week, Russian state TV reported that
several hundred armed men with military-looking bags arrived to
the international airport of Kiev.

It was reported that the tough guys are employees of Greystone
Limited, a subsidiary of Vehicle Services Company LLC belonging
to Blackwater/XE/Academi.

Greystone Limited mercenaries are part of what is called
‘America’s Secret Army,’ providing non-state military support not
constrained by any interstate agreements, The Voice of Russia
reported.

But they are not the only ones. A Russian national that took part
in clashes in Kiev was arrested in Russia’s Bryansk region this
week. He made a statement on record that he met a large number of
foreigners taking active part in the fighting with police.

He claimed he saw dozens of military-clad people from Germany,
Poland, and Turkey, as well as English speakers who were possibly
from the US, Russkaya Gazeta reported earlier this week.

Ivan Fursov, RT

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.